Law enforcement to hold weeklong increased enforcement of traffic safety

CAPITAL DISTRICT  State Police will heighten “Move Over Law” enforcement efforts from Monday, April 1, to Sunday, April 7, in an attempt to reduce speed-related crashes and protect roadside worker.

Speed is a leading cause of roadway fatalities and is a significant threat to law enforcement and emergency workers, according to police. During the special traffic enforcement effort starting Monday, motorists should expect increased patrols on roadways enforcing speed limits and the “Move Over Law.”

In 2011, State Police issued 13,692 tickets for violations of the “Move Over Law,” which become effective in January 2011.

The law requires “drivers to exercise due care to avoid colliding with an authorized emergency or hazard vehicle which is parked, stopped or standing on the shoulder of a road or highway with its emergency lights activated,” according to police.

Drivers must reduce speed on any road when approaching such vehicles, but on parkways, interstates and highways with multiple lanes, drivers are also required to move from the lane adjacent to the vehicle. Drives do not have to move from their lane if it can’t be done safely.

The Ambrose-Searles “Move Over Law” was named in honor of State Trooper Robert W. Ambrose and Onondaga County Sheriff Deputy Glenn M. Searles. Both men were killed while their patrol vehicles were stopped alongside the road. The law also aims to honor others who lost their lives on the highway while serving the public.

Last year, the law was amended to create two sections, with one for emergency vehicles and another for hazard vehicles, which include vehicles with “amber lights,” such as tow services or maintenance workers.